𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 33 ~ The Words I Could Never Say

I could hear them talking but I was powerless to do anything about it. All I had was one gun with only a few bullets left in the chamber. Enough to take a few down but not all of them. I was still contemplating what to do when suddenly, a shot rang out from one of the houses down the street and all heads turned towards the sound. Rick's eyes widened before quickly filling with tears and my heart dropped to my stomach as I realized what it meant. I vaguely remember seeing Michonne head that direction to her post before Negan arrived.

Michonne...she was...was... I felt bile rise up in my throat at the thought of losing someone else I cared about but I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to vomit. Negan laughed then as he saw the look on Rick and Carl's faces and began to taunt him. I tuned it out to the best of my ability...until I heard the next words fall from Negan's lips.

"I'm gonna kill Carl now. I'm gonna make it one nice, hard swing, try to do it in one because I like him," he said with an evil smile plastered on his face, "I just want you to put that in your brain and roll it around for a minute. I'm gonna kill Carl, and then Lucille here, she's gonna take your hands,"

My blood ran cold in my veins and I felt like I couldn't breathe. No, no, no, no! He couldn't do this! I had to do something to stop him - I had to!

"You can do it right in front of me. You can take my hands. I told you already - I'm gonna kill you," Rick seethed, spewing his words like venom into Negan's face, "All of you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but nothing is gonna change that - nothing. You're all already dead,"

Negan's jaw clenched in anger before finally, he began to chuckle at Rick's speech - feigning indifference, "Wow, Rick. Okay..."

He stood up then from where he had knelt in front of Rick and walked around them to stand behind Carl. My heart raced in my chest as I fumbled to try and cock my gun. But it was useless - my hands were shaking and tears were blurring my vision, I could feel them sliding slowly down my cheeks. Negan whipped off Carl's sheriff's hat then and I held back a scream.

" You said I could do it." he said through clenched teeth.

I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the sickening sound of my boyfriend's skull being bashed in...but it never came. Instead, all I heard was a loud growl that sounded like it came from a...tiger? Slowly, I blinked my eyes open to see Shiva standing over one of Negan's men, tearing into his flesh. My eyes widened at the scene just as gunfire broke out. I didn't hesitate in that moment. Quickly, I cocked my gun and began to shoot. I didn't stop to think about the consequences even - I just shot at them again and again.

People rode in on horseback and I grinned when I noticed King Ezekiel with them.

"End these Saviors and their accomplices!" the king's voice rang out in the air as he shot a man down, "Alexandria will not fall, not on this day!"

I let out a loud whoop of happiness and the king's eyes fell on me. He grinned, nodding to me before he joined the fray. As I began to shoot more of them, I noticed another group coming up along the road - the Hilltop with Maggie leading them. But I couldn't stop the smile that found its way on my face as soon as my eyes landed on my dad, racing over to me. Before I could even react, his arms had scooped me into his chest for a tight hug.

"You alright?" he yelled to me over the din of gunfire, his accent clinging to his words.

I grinned, nodding, "I'm fine!"

He gave me one last nod, his eyes roving over me to check for injuries before he went back to shooting at Negan's people. Everyone was here helping us - Kingdom and Hilltop alike. I almost couldn't believe it at first - to see everyone pitching in like they did. Suddenly, smoke filled the air and I coughed as it began to fill my lungs, clouding everyone's vision of the battle waging around us. Negan and his people began to retreat then, slipping out the Gate underneath the cover of the smoke. I saw Maggie and Rick talking, taking action as to what to do next.

I began to make my way over to them when suddenly, I stopped in my tracks at the sight before me as my eyes locked onto a lone figure standing several feet from me. Brown met blue and without a moment's hesitation, my feet were pounding against the cracked pavement - racing to him. Seconds later, my body collided into his firm chest and he hoisted me up into his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist as I began to sob. All the fear upon seeing him knelt on the ground before Negan's bat...wrapped up in his arms, it all just came back to me in a rush of emotion. His hand rubbed up and down my back assuringly but that only made me sob harder, my chest heaving as he held me. Carl didn't protest at all, just let me cry while he whispered sweet nothings in my ear.

And when my tears had finally mostly subsided, I pulled back from him and he gently put my feet back on the ground.

"I th-thought you w-were going to d-die," I said between hiccups, my eyes surely red and puffy by now from all my crying as I gazed up into his face.

He shushed me softly as he cupped my face, his fingers brushing strands of hair away from my skin.

"It's okay. I'm fine, baby - I'm alright," he told me, his words gentle and reassuring.

But I was so choked up with emotion, it barely registered he'd called me 'baby' for the first time.

"I can't lose you, Carl, I can't," I continued, tears filling my eyes once more as I tried not to sob again.

"Shh, I know, I know... I can't lose you, either, Angel," he spoke softly, his blue eye filled with concern.

The next words I spoke were out of my mouth before I could even register I'd said them, before I could have time to back out and back-track.

"I love you," I choked out, unable to hold back the hiccuping sob that followed in succession to my confession.

His blue eye widened slightly and I almost thought I'd made a mistake. But slowly, he grinned down at me, caressing my face tenderly before replying.

"I love you, too, Angel...so much."

Note: Last chapter coming up!! ^_^